Devices for inverting piped garment openings



Jan. 8, 1957 s. J. KETTERER DEVICES FOR INVERTING PIPED GARMENT- OPENINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

Filed Dec. 22. 1953 m m m m Stanley J. Ketterer WI TNESS ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1957 5, K R 2,177,788

DEVICES FOR INVERTING PIPED GARMENT OPENINGS Filed Dec. 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Stanley J.Ket1erer ATTORNEY United States Patent "DEVICES FOR INVERTING PIPED GARMENT OPENINGS Stanley J. Ketterer, Stratford, Conn'., assignor to The 'SingerlManufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 22, 1953, Serial No. 399,659

'14 Claims. (ill. 22339) .folded and stitched to the face of a garment fabric, one

at ,eitherside of a slit therein and with the fold edges of thepiping strips facing in opposite directions. The slit .in the garment fabric is branched at each extremity so that whenthe piping strips are inverted through the slit, a rectangularaperture is formed in the garment fabric and the fold edges of the piping strips are-exposed in juxtaposition beneath the garment fabric. The bound garment aperture is completed by a stitching operation in which the piping strips are secured together in the final position of arrangement beneath the garment fabric.

The appearance of the finished garment opening depends in a large measure upon the manner in which the piping strips are inverted. The success of inturning operation will determine, for instance, whether the finished aperture will have square sharply defined corners, whether loose or ravelled ends will be completely inverted and invisible beneaththe garment, and whether the piping strips will bedeposited evenly and symmetrically beneath the opening in the garment.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for inverting the piping strips of a bound garment opening in a complete and positive manner.

It is also an object to provide a turning device which will insure .a symmetrical arrangements of the piping strips beneath the garmentaperture after the inversion.

It isa further object of this invention to provide an inverting instrument of the above character in which the piping strips are inverted in successive predetermined stages which promotes gentle manipulation of the fabrics and insures consistent results.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment thereof in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the turning device of this invention with the work-engaging parts at one sidebeing exploded;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the work-engaging portion of the turning device of Fig. 1;v

Fig, 3 is a side elevational view of the turning device .OfFig.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a portion of garment fabric with two strips of piping fabric folded and stitched thereto prior to the turning operation by the device of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the fabrics of Fig. 4 after completion of the turning operation;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the garment fabric and 2,776,788 i atentecl Jan. 8, .1957

ice

2 piping strips prior to the turning operation as in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of a portion of the turning device with the garment fabrics being illustrated in transverse cross-section and in two positions during downward movement about the turning device;

Fig. 8is a front elevational view of a portion of the turning device with the garment fabrics being illustrated in transverse cross-section in the position occupied during the initial upward movement at the start of the first stage of inversion;

Fig. 9 is a front elevational view of the turning device similar to Fig. 8, but showing the fabrics upon continued upward movement through the first stage of the inversion;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the upper portion of the turning device with the garment fabrics being illustrated in transverse cross-section along the medial line of the garment opening and'in two positions during upward movement thereof, i. e., at the start of and at the completion of the second stage of inversion;

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view takensuhstantially along line 11-41 of Fig. 10; and p Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the turning device showing the position of the fabrics during the third and final stage of inversion.

.Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 best illustrate the structure of the turning device of this invention. The turning instrumentalities are formed and assembled upon a main supporting plate or shank member 20 adapted to be adjustably secured preferably by a locking bolt 21 and angle brackets 22 to any suitable supporting surface.

Secured to the shank member 20, as by rivets 23, are three pairs of plates124, 24', 25, 25' and 26, 26'. As illu trated in Fig. 2, these plates are arranged symmetrically with one of each pair being disposed on each side of the shank member in the same sequence from the shank member 20 outwardly at each, side. Prime numbers will he used to designate these plates and the portions thereof which are disposed at the left handside of the supporting plate 20, asviewed in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 3, the shank member 20 and each of the plates 24, 25 and 26 are individually formed symmetrically about the vertical centerline, indicated as XX in Fig. 3, which in the preferred embodiment intersects each of the rivets.23. In the structural description which follows, therefore, the configuration and arrangement of one sideof the shank member and of one side of each of the plates 2,4,25'and '26 will be described. It will be understood that this description will apply as well to any of the quadrants of the present symmetrical arrangement of plates.

The shankmember 20 is recessed, as at 27, at each side approximately midway of its length. The upper portion of the recess 27 is formed with an upwardly and outwardly'inclined series of serrations 28 whichv extend, at the upper extremity of the recess, to the full width of the shank member 20. The shank member extends upwardly beyond the recess 27 at substantially constant width and terminates in 'a top edge 29 preferably formed with rounded corners.

Plate 24 is disposed adjacent the shank member 20 and is formed at each side with upwardly and outwardly inclined serrations 30 which are substantially identical with serrations 28 of the support plate and which are disposed in transverse alignment with serrations 23 when the plates are riveted together. Plate 24 terminates at a point immediately beneath the serrations 30. Above the serrations .30, the plate 24 is formed with inwardly tapered side edges 31 terminating in a top edge 32 which extends short of the top edge 29 of the main supporting plate.

.Plate 25 is secured in face-'to-facecontact with plate 24 and is formedwith a depending skirt or blade portion 33 which extends downwardly beyond plate 24 and is maintained in spaced relation to the shank member by an amount equal to the thickness of the interposed plate 24. The skirt portion 33 extends to a width substantially equal to that of the main support plate, however, the side edge of the plate opposite the serrations 2S and is formed with a shallow indentation 34 which, as shown in Fig. 3, preferably extends just to the points of the serrations so that the serrations are recessed completely between the plates 25, 25 one at each side. Above the serrations, the plate 25 is formed with inwardly tapered side walls 35 terminating in a top edge 36 which extends short of the top edge 32 of plate 24.

The outer plate 26 is secured in face-to-face contact with plate 25 and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is substantially trapezoidal in shape. The lower edge 37 of plate 26 is disposed above the serrations 28, 30 and opposite the tapered side edges 31 and 35 of plates 24 and 25, respectively. The side edges 38 of plate 26 are tapered inwardly and terminate in a top edge 39 which extends short of the top edge 36 of plate 25. The corner 40 at the juncture of the bottom edge 37 and side edges 38 of plate 26 extends to the full width of the shank member 20 as shown in Fig. 3.

The above described assembly of laminated plates comprises the preferred form of construction of this invention since this represents one of the easiest and most economical ways for providing the various combinations of surface contour and configuration with the accuracy needed in order to provide an operable fabric inverting device. It will be understood, however, that my invention relates as well to the final assembled form of the above described device apart from its mode of manufacture. It will be appreciated that the device of my invention might feasibly be produced as a single die casting, or that some of the various parts or their equivalents might be sub-assembled without departure from the teachings of this specification.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the type of piped garment openings which the device of my invention isadapted to invert. In these figures indicates a garment fabric to which two strips of piping material 51 and 52 are secured by lines of stitches 53. The stitches preferably pass through two layers of a folded portion 54, 55 of the piping strips and prior to inversion, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, the strips are disposed adjacent the face 56 of the garment fabric with an elongated side 57 and 58 of each of the strips being upturned. An aperture 59 is formed in the garment fabric between the lines of stitching 53. As shown in Fig. 6 the aperture 59 includes branched end portions 60 and 61. When the inversion of the piping strips has been completed by the device of my invention, the parts will be disposed as illustrated in Fig. 5. The portions of the garment fabric between the ends of the branched aperture 58 will be inverted with the piping strips to form a rectangular shaped opening 62 in the garment fabric, the stitching 53 will be hidden from view beneath the garment fabric and the folded portions 54 and 55 of the piping strips will lie beneath the opening 62 in the garment fabric.

The mode of operation of the turning device of this invention is best illustrated in Figs. 7 through 12. In general, three distinct steps are performed by this device in inturning the fabrics. The first step is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 in which the elongated sides 57 and 58 of the strips are inverted. In the succeeding step, as illustrated in Fig. 10, the end portions of the strips are inverted. Fig. 12 illustrates the final step in which the folded portions 54 and 55 of the strips are urged completely through the garment fabric and in which, in addition, any loose ends of thread etc. are inverted.

While these three steps may be recognized as distinct, yet the configuration and arrangement of the parts of my device are such that in the sequence of steps the fabrics are controlled and urged during one step into a position or arrangement favorable or essential for the proper execution of each succeeding step. With this device, therefore, the various portions cooperate not only in the sense that each contributes to the common goal but also in that each cooperates to condition the fabrics in a definite controlled manner for the succeeding operation thus together providing a device by which the fabric may be inverted in a systematic, uniform and complete manner.

In operation, an apertured garment fabric having pip ing strips stitched thereto, as shown in Fig. 6, is drawn downwardly over the assembled plates, as is shown in the cross-sectional representation A of Fig. 7, to a position about the shank member 20 beneath the skirts 33, 33, as is shown in cross-sectional representation B of Fig. 7. In being drawn downwardly, the stepped arrangement of the top edges 29, 32, 36 and 39 of the plates facilitates entry of the turning device into the aperture 59, and since the serrations 23, 30 and 30 are recessed between and, in effect, guarded by the plates 25 and 25', these teeth cannot catch into the fabric or the piping strips as they are being drawn downwardly.

The fabric and the piping strips are then drawn upwardly and off of the turning device. In so doing the operator preferably grasps the garment fabric at each side of the stitched piping strips. Upward movement thereof forces the elongated side portion of each of the piping strips 51 and 52 into the spaces or slots at each side between the shank member 20 and the depending skirt portions 33, 33', as shown in the cross-sectional representation at C of Fig. 8. As upward movement continues, the skirt portions 33, 33' engage and invert the elongated sides 57 and 58 of the piping strips, as shown in cross-sectional representations at D in Figs. 9 and 10. The action of inversion of the sides 57 and 58 serves to curl the end portions of the folded piping strips inwardly and about the edges of the skirt portions 33 and 33. The recesses 27 in the shank member 20 are provided at this point in order to provide clearance for these inwardly curled ends. Fig. 11 clearly illustrates the configuration of the fabrics at this point. All that is visible of the piping strips in Fig. 11 is the fold edges 54 and 55 and Fig. 11 clearly indicates the manner in which these are wrapped about the skirt portions 33 and 33' and the manner in which they extend into the recesses 27.

As the fabrics are moved upwardly with respect to the turning instrument from position D to position E of Fig. 10, the second stage in the inversion process takes place. During this step, the end portions of the piping strips which are curled into the recesses 27 are engaged by the serrations 28, 30, 30' and are turned through the aperture 59 in the garment fabric to a position beneath the face 56 thereof. The shallow indentations 34, 34' in plates 25, 25 serve to facilitate the inversion of the piping strip end portions during this second stage by providing a clearance so that the end portions may pass through the aperture without stretching the garment fabrics and thus without imposing excessive strains upon the fabrics.

The final stage of inversion occurs as the fabrics are withdrawn upwardly past the bottom edges 37 and bottom corners 40 of the outer plates 26, as is shown in Fig. 12. The corners 40 of the plates 26, 26 engage the folded portions 54 and 55 which at this point underlie the garment opening 62 but, as shown in cross-sectional representation E of Fig. 10 are only forced through the garment opening and are not as yet folded back beneath the garment fabric. The plates 26, 26', and particularly the corners 40 thereof, engage and enfold the piping strip folded edges and in addition, the plates 26, 26 serve to invert any portions of the fabrics which have for any reason been incompletely inverted by the other turning elements of the device.

The turning device of this invention thus provides a means for inverting the fabrics of a piped garment opening in a predetermined and certain sequence of stages which insures that the piping strip or strips will be depositedbeneath the garment opening in a neat, symmetrical, and completely inverted fashion.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A device for inverting a piping strip which is folded upon itself andstitched in folded relation along one edge of an aperture, formed in a garment fabric, comprising a shank having a free extremity adapted to be accommodated in said aperture, means carried by said shank and effective as the garment is drawn along said shank to engage at least one free edge of said folded piping strip and carry said free edge through said aperture, and means carried by said shank and disposed between said first mentioned means and said free extremity for engag ing and carrying through said aperture those ends of the folded piping strip which are inturned toward said shank as a result of the operation of said first mentioned mean-s.

2. In a device as set forth in claim 1, means carried by said shank between said last mentioned means and said free extremity for engaging the fold edge of said piping strip and carrying said fold edge through the aperture in said garment fabric.

3. A device for inverting the piping strips of a bound garment opening which strips prior to inversion are folded and stitched one at each side of a garment opening with the free edges of said strips being juxtaposed, comprising a support member adapted for insertion and withdrawal from said aperture, strip-inverting members supported one at each side of said support member and arranged to engage and invert aportion of at least one free edge of each of said piping strips thus curling the ends of each strip inwardly toward said support member, and cloth gripping surfaces carried by said support member and disposed between said strip inverting members to engage and invert the inwardly curled ends of said strip.

4. A device for inverting opposed piping strips which are secured one at each side of a garment opening, comprising a shank having opposite flat sides and a free extremity adapted to be inserted and withdrawn from said garment opening, two skirt portions secured in fixed position one opposite each of said flat sides of said shank, each of said skirt portions having a free end portion extending in a direction opposite that of the free extremity of said shank, and means maintaining said free extremities of said skirt portions in spaced relation with the flat sides of said shank.

. 5. A device for inverting opposed piping strips which are secured one at each side of an opening in a garment fabric, comprising a shank having opposite flat sides, substantially parallel edge portions and an upstanding extremity about which the garment opening is adapted to be drawn downwardly and then withdrawn from the shank, I

two skirt portions disposed one at each side of the free extremity of said shank and arranged to depend in spaced relation to said shank to define therebetween a slot at each side of said shank for reception of said opposed piping strips upon withdrawal of the garment from said shank, and each edge portion of said shank being formed between said skirt portions with a recess adapted to provide clearance for inversion of theends of the opposed piping strips without stretching the opening in the garment fabric.

6. A device for inverting opposed piping strips which are secured one at each side of an opening in a garment fabric, comprising a shank having opposite flat sides, substantially parallel edge portions and an upstanding extremity about which the garment opening is adapted to be drawn downwardly and then withdrawn from' the shank, two skirt portions disposed one at each side of the free extremity of said shank and arranged to depend in spaced relation to said shank to define therebetween a slot at each side of said shank for reception of said opposed piping strips upon withdrawal of the garment from said shank, and each edge portion of said shank being formed between said skirt portions with a 6 recess adapted to provide clearance for inversion of the ends of the opposed piping strips without stretching the opening in the garment fabric, and cloth-gripping means disposed within said shank recessfor engaging and inverting the ends of said piping strips.

7. A device for inverting a piping strip of a piped garment opening, comprising a flat shank, support means carried at one extremity of said shank, a flat blade disposed to overlie said shank, aspacer disposed between said blade and said shank, said blade having a free extremity extending toward said support means.

8. A device for inverting a piping strip of a piped garment opening, comprising a shank, a flat blade having a maximum width substantially equal to that of said shank, a spacer member arranged between one extremity of said fiat blade and said shank, and means securing said blade in substantially parallel relation to said shank.

9. A device for inverting opposed piping strips which are secured one at each side of a garment opening, comprising a shank member formed with opposed flat sides, support means carried 'at oneextremity of said shank member, a pair of strip inverting blades, means securing said blades symmetrically on said shank member each overlying one side of said shank member, spacing means arranged between said shank member and each of said strip inverting blades, said strip inverting blades each being formed with free end portions extending beyond said spacing means and toward said supporting means.

10. A turning device for inverting the piping strips of a piped garment opening, comprising a shank, a pair of blades secured one at each side of said shank, means maintaining said blades in spaced relation to said shank, and cloth gripping means carried by said shank, said cloth gripping means disposed entirely within the interstice between said pair of blades.

11. A turning device for inverting the piping strips of a piped garment opening, comprising a flat shank member having parallel edge portions, a pair of blades secured one at each side of said shank member, means maintaining said blades in spaced relation to said shank member, the edge portions of said support plate each being formed within the interstice between said pair of blades with a recess formed with a roughened cloth gripping surface.

12. A turning device for inverting the piping strips of a piped garment opening, comprising a shank member having parallel edge portions, a pair of blades secured one at each side of said shank member, a pair of spacer members disposed one between each of said blades and said shank member, the edge portions of said shank member and of each of said spacer members being formed within the interstice between said pair of blades with a plurality of serrations defining a cloth gripping surface.

13. A laminated sheet metal instrument for inverting the piping strips of apiped garment opening, comprising a shank plate having substantially uniform width and being formed with transversely aligned recesses one in each edge thereof, said shank plate having a free extremity, and support means carried by said shank plate at the extremity opposite said free extremity, a plurality of pairs of sheet metal plates secured to said shank plate in symmetrical relation one of each pair at each side of said shank plate, and including a pair of inner plates arranged adjacent to the free extremity of said shank plate and disposed to extend opposite a portion of said recesses, a pair of intermediate plates arranged adjacent said inner plates and disposed to extend beyond said inner plates in the direction of said support means, and a pair of outer plates arranged adjacent said intermediate plates and disposed between the recesses and the free extremity of said shank plate.

14. A laminated sheet metal instrument for inverting the piping strips of a piped garment opening, comprising 1 a shank plate having a free extremity, support means carried by said shank plate at the extremity opposite said free extremity, a plurality of serrations formed in each of the side edges of said shank plate, a first pair of plates secured in face-to-face contact with said shank plate, one at each side thereof, a plurality of serrations formed in each of the side edges of each of said first pair of plates, said last mentioned serrations being disposed adjacent and at each side of the serrations in said shank plate, a second pair of plates secured in face-to-face contact each with one of said first pair of plates, a skirt portion formed at one extremity of said second pair of plates and disposed to extend beyond said first pair of plates in the direction of said support means and in References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 774,147 Beierrneister Nov. 8, 1904 1,100,203 Stedman June 16, 1914 2,464,286 Bates Mar. 15, 1949 2,556,049 Stout June 5, 1951 

